9-member Green Cover Development Committee will work to increase Delhi’s green area- Gopal Rai
Forest Research Institute, Dehradun to independently audit the Tree Transplantation done by all departments to monitor on ground progress- Gopal Rai
Today a joint review meeting was held at Delhi Secretariat with all the concerned departments and empanelled agencies regarding the Tree Transplantation Policy- Gopal Rai
Departments that fail to submit reports of their Tree Transplantation work to not be granted construction clearances anymore – Gopal Rai
NEW DELHI
The Kejriwal Government has constituted a 9-member Green Cover Development Committee to enrich and expand Delhi’s greenery. Under this initiative, the Green Cover Development Committee will work to increase Delhi’s green area. At the same time, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun will independently audit the Tree Transplantation done by all departments to monitor on ground progress. A high-level joint review meeting with all concerned departments and empanelled agencies in relation to the Tree Transplantation Policy was held today at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting was presided over by Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai. Officers and experts from all relevant departments and agencies, including Forest and Wildlife, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, CPWD, DMRC, PWD, Railway, NHAI, among others, attended the meeting.
Environment Minister Shri Gopal Rai said, “Earlier in Delhi, trees were cut for development work, and new plants were planted in their place. We eventually determined that newly planted saplings took a long time to grow, so the government implemented a tree transplantation policy that required all plants that could be transplanted to be transplanted. A joint review meeting was held today with all departments and empaneled agencies that had requested department approval for tree transplantation in the previous year. Major departments include the NHAI, NCRTC, NBCC, DMRC, RLDA, PGCIL, Jal Board, CPWD, PWD, and MCD.”
“Based on the reports received during this meeting, it has been determined that different departments and agencies have varying survival rates when it comes to tree transplantation. The average survival rate of trees has been found to be between 50 and 55 percent. In addition, due to the unsatisfactory results of many agencies and departments, the departmental tree transplantation will now be audited by the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun. No files related to any department that does not submit their respective reports to the Forest Department will be approved for any further construction work. Furthermore, any empanelment agencies that do not perform tree-transplantation work optimally will be blacklisted. The Forest Research Institute Dehradun will also audit the tree transplantation performed by the departments that have received approval for tree transplantation thus far.” he further added.
-Green cover development committee constituted
In response to the DDA letter, Shri Gopal Rai stated, “Describing the scarcity of land, DDA has requested to revise the tree transplantation policy for Compensatory Plantation from 1:10 to 1:2.” First and foremost, the Forest Department has been directed to issue an order directing the DDA to submit a detailed report on the available land to them. In anticipation of a potential land constraint and to increase green cover in Delhi, the department has formed a 9-member Green Cover Development Committee. This committee will work to increase green space based on land availability. This committee will include two representatives from PWD and one each from CPWD, DDA, Forest Department, MCD, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi Urban Art Commission, and IARI (Pusa).”
He concluded, “Our government’s goal is to increase the amount of green space in Delhi as much as possible so that the people of Delhi can be free of pollution. The Delhi government is always eager to increase and safeguard the city’s green area.”